Avram Grant laments 'sad day for football' as Portsmouth rule out appeal against points deduction

Avram Grant reflected on a 'sad day for football' after confirmation of Portsmouth's nine-point deduction for going into administration all butrelegated the club from the Barclays Premier League.Administrator Andrew Andronikou has confirmed Portsmouth would notappeal against the ruling, formally imposed after HM Revenue andCustoms dropped their challenge to the club going into administration.The deduction virtually guarantees Pompey - FA Cup winners in 2008 -will be playing in the Coca-Cola Championship next season, as they nowhave just 10 points, 14 behind second-from-bottom Hull whom they faceat Fratton Park on Saturday. Oh no: Avram Grant laments the decision to dock Portsmouth nine points following their move into administrationBy then, Grant will have gauged the mood in the squad, which stillhas an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley to look forward to,but which may lack motivation for what are essentially meaninglessmatches.Indeed, Grant refused to rule out fielding weakened sides should hefeel the players are not fully focused, perhaps contemplating their ownfutures away from the club next season.Grant said: 'Even though the writing was on the wall a long time agoand I tried to tell everybody we would do our best, for me, this is asad day.'It is also sad for the Premier League that this has happened forthe first time in its history to what is the best league in the world.'A football decision has not been decided on the pitch, it has been decided in an office somewhere, and that is wrong.'What is Portsmouth? The people now, or before? That is the question.'What they have done with this decision is not punish the people whodid something wrong, so now the people who come along next time willthink 'okay, I can go away to my house and they will punish the fansand everybody who came after. This is not good. In control: Andrew Andronikou 'Do you think this decision will be a warning to the next ones who want to do something wrong? I do not think so.'Grant intends to give the players, such as England goalkeeper DavidJames, the chance to air their views after tomorrow's training session.'I cannot tell you anything about the future. I will talk with theplayers about it tomorrow, and we will make a decision, and go fromthere,' said the Portsmouth manager.'It is not easy, because we still believed that even with all thedifficulties we could fight against relegation, because Portsmouth didthat a few years ago. Now, we need to think about everything.'Grant added: 'Football needs to be decided on the pitch. You need togive all of the teams an equal chance, which we did not have in thiscase.'The decision was taken a long time ago that Portsmouth would not stay in the Premier League, for one reason or another. Ploughing on: Portsmouth continue to battle on through their crisis-ridden season'Do the people who have now been punished deserve it? The fans do not, they did nothing wrong.'They players have always tried to do their best for the team in difficult circumstances.'Pompey could do the other sides in the relegation dogfight a hugefavour by beating the struggling Tigers, who this week replaced managerPhil Brown with Iain Dowie.Grant, though, insisted: 'We do not have a duty to the other teams -the Premier League has a duty to the other teams. We have a duty forPortsmouth.'We tried everything in the last month to keep what I think thespirit of football is about. I do not see any reason why we should notdo that even when we do not have a target.'If we had given up before, people would not have thought that wasgood for the Premier League. We need to hear what the players thinkabout what we need to do from now on.' Crisis club Portsmouth face certain relegation after nine-point deductionCompetition: Win a pair of tickets for Portsmouth v Hull on March 20 - courtesy of BarclaysCHARLES SALE: Trainer David Murray Smith's shock at Rob Lloyd's Portsmouth bidGerrard escapes ban for clash with Portsmouth midfielder BrownHigh Court give green light to crisis club Portsmouth over administrationPORTSMOUTH FC

Source: Daily_Mail